SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
By Farrah Tomazin
Washington: The Albanese government has moved to shore up its relationship with Donald Trump, with Australia’s US ambassador Kevin Rudd seeking to smooth over tensions with the incoming president as Foreign Minister Penny Wong prepares to meet with his pick for top diplomat.
On the eve of Trump’s inauguration, Wong, who is in Washington to attend the historic event, said the government was looking forward to working with the new Trump administration to advance their shared economic and security interests.
Noting that “every new presidency is a day of profound importance to the world”, Wong said that China, trade and the AUKUS submarine pact would be on her agenda when she meets with Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and other members of Congress during her visit.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong attended Donald Trump’s inauguration.Credit: Bloomberg
“If you look at how I and others have spoken about the challenge and opportunity that China presents, including for the stability of the region, I think there’s a lot of similarity in the way in which we can discuss China,” she said.
Rudd, who has been working overtime to foster strong relationships with both sides of politics since he took on the job as ambassador, also met briefly with the incoming president at his Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The former prime minister’s future in Washington was thrown into doubt last year when Trump learnt of past comments he had made in which Rudd described Trump as a “traitor to the West” and the “most destructive president in history”.
“I don’t know much about him. I heard he was a little bit nasty. I hear he’s not the brightest bulb,” Trump said when with the comments in an interview with former Brexit party leader Nigel Farage on Britain’s right-leaning GB News.
“He won’t be there long if that’s the case.”
Asked how the meeting went and whether she was confident of a good working relationship, Wong replied: “I think the meeting was a short discussion. Obviously, it went well, as can be seen by the fact that this invitation (to Trump’s inauguration) has been extended.”
Donald Trump at a rally in November with Marco Rubio, who has been nominated as secretary of state.Credit: AP
“We’ve seen the AUKUS legislation shepherded through, we’ve seen this visit organised, we’ve seen the invitation to the inauguration for both me and also ambassador Rudd. I think that speaks for itself,” she added of the relationship between the two countries.
The push to get in Trump’s good graces comes at a critical time for Australia, which is locked into a $365 billion military pact with the US in the form of the AUKUS submarine deal.
Among his many promises, Trump has vowed to impose trade tariffs of up to 60 per cent on imports, introduce deep tax cuts, significantly boost military spending and deport millions of immigrants from the US.
Australia was encouraged by Rubio’s comments at his Senate confirmation hearing last week, in which the China hawk gave the strongest signal yet that US administration would continue to back AUKUS, describing it as a blueprint for other partnerships to take on China.
“It’s one example of how we can leverage the power of these partnerships with allies … to reach outcomes and objectives, such as creating a geopolitical and strategic balance in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,” said the Florida senator, who would become Wong’s counterpart if, as expected, his nomination is confirmed by Congress.
Asked if Australia would seek to be exempt from tariff increases, Wong replied: “I’d make the point that in terms of US-Australia economic relationships, that America has had a trade surplus with US since the Truman presidency, so that’s a long time. I’d make the point that, in fact, that trade surplus is two to one in the US’s favour, and I’d also make the point that I think around half of our Australian exports to the US are inputs to US production.
“So it’s an economic relationship which is obviously a great mutual benefit.”
Wong and Rudd were initially one of 200,000-plus guests invited to watch Trump’s swearing-in ceremony outside the US capitol until the 78-year-old Republican moved the event indoors due to dangerously cold weather in Washington on Monday.
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